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Inside Dannii Minogue’s difficult relationship with Julian McMahon’s socialite mother and how she wouldn’t even let her into her home – as she stays silent on ex-husband’s death

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Dannii Minogue experienced a tumultuous bond with Julian McMahon’s mother, Lady Sonia McMahon.

Dannii Minogue and Lady Sonia McMahon, Julian McMahon’s mom, had a difficult relationship.

Last week, it was reported that Julian, who is the son of the late Australian Prime Minister William McMahon and Sonia, lost his life at the age of 56 following a quiet struggle against cancer.

On the Fourth of July, in a heartfelt declaration, Kelly Paniagua, who was deeply affected, confirmed the tragic news about her husband.

Prior to his romance with Kelly and his rise to fame in Hollywood, Julian had been previously married to his Home and Away co-star and singer, Dannii, years earlier.

Back in the late ’80s, fate brought together two stars on the set of a popular daytime drama, and I can still remember the buzz when they tied the knot in 1994 – a true Hollywood fairy tale wedding!

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But behind the scenes, things were far from picture-perfect.

The marriage between them endured for only 18 months, and at a later point, Dannii stated during an interview that Julian’s mom had never been supportive of their relationship.

She shared that there was no connection between us, she would not engage in conversation with me, and I was prohibited from being in close proximity to her within our home, as she confided in No Filter during that period.

‘We just had no idea how to handle it – we were just trying to’.

Dannii said that the romance was complicated by financial issues.

The actress stated, “Her (Julian’s mom’s) contributions weren’t there, but mine were. I covered all the costs and put in long hours each day to earn the funds needed for those expenses.

The performer asserted that regularly traveling back and forth between the United Kingdom and the United States to maintain their relationship ended up leaving them financially burdened.

‘I not only ran out of money – I was in debt,’ Dannii explained.

‘It was a huge struggle emotionally, physically, mentally, financially.’

Eventually, she resolved to bare all for Playboy as a means to alleviate her overwhelming financial struggles, a decision she later disclosed was not initially supported by her parents, who objected to her posing for the publication.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I found myself facing an intriguing predicament when I shared my aspirations with my parents. They weren’t exactly thrilled about my plans, particularly my dad who cautioned me, “Once you embark on this path, it’s set in stone – there’s no going back.” This was the essence of our conversation as reported to news.com.au.

My sister Kylie understood what I was up to. Instead of asking her for funds, which didn’t align with my character, I chose not to.

‘I never wanted to admit the trouble I was in. I should have been looking at my finances.’

Additionally, Dannii opened up about the challenging dynamic she had with her ex-mother-in-law during an honest conversation on Anh’s Brush with Fame back in 2019.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but share this: Sonia refused to let me set foot at our family home. On occasions when Julian needed to fetch something, I found myself biding my time in the vehicle parked outside, eagerly awaiting his return. This is how it transpired, as she conveyed to me.

‘It was as if I’d done something wrong to the family, but I hadn’t done anything wrong.’

Dannii also revealed how Sonia had initially refused to show up on her wedding day.

In the end, she arrived and created quite a commotion… it wasn’t ideal… it was tough. I merely attempted to keep my distance, I simply wanted to savor the day,” she expressed.

Following a brief union with Dannii, Julian got married to American actress Brooke Burns, who gained fame from her part in Baywatch, in the year 1999.

A year later, they had a baby girl named Madison (she’s 25 now), but unfortunately, their marriage fell apart in 2001.

46-year-old Burns paid a heartfelt tribute to her late former spouse on Instagram after hearing the news of his demise. She posted a tender photograph of Julian and their daughter, accompanied by a poignant message: ‘May you find eternal peace.’

But their relationship wasn’t without controversy.

In the brief span of their relationship, there were whispers that Julian may have been involved romantically with his co-star from Charmed, Shannen Doherty.

It is said that the rumored relationship supposedly coincided with the last season of Doherty’s character portrayal, which was around 2000-2001 on the television series.

Burns reportedly discovered the affair in the tabloids.

In a conversation with Nicki Swift, Burns explained, ‘That was the final event that tipped him over,’ eventually confessing, ‘He became overwhelmed by the glamour and excitement of Los Angeles.’

Doherty died after a battle with breast cancer in July 2024 – just a year before Julian.

After their separation, Julian commended his former spouse and noted that their shared parenting of their daughter had been mostly peaceful and cooperative.

In simpler terms, he mentioned to Ocean Drive Magazine in 2003 that they tend to live one day at a time. The person with the heaviest workload won’t be available to take care of the child on any given day or night.

This means that our goal is for our daughter to have as equal a share of time with both parents as possible.

He commented: ‘When it’s about providing your child with the best life imaginable, it seems quite straightforward.’

‘It’s not about arguing, fighting and trying to manipulate each other anymore.

Essentially, it’s about ensuring our daughter has as many opportunities and resources as possible as she grows up.

After two high-profile breakups, Julian kept his next relationship largely out of the spotlight.

In 2003, he started seeing writer and model Kelly Paniagua, and following over a decade of companionship, they exchanged vows in a low-key wedding at Lake Tahoe in the year 2014.

As per earlier accounts, the actor proposed during a romantic getaway to Melbourne towards the end of 2013.

In contrast to his previous marriages, Julian and Kelly preferred to maintain a low profile regarding their romantic life, seldom attending public events as a couple or speaking about their relationship during interviews.

In a deeply emotional declaration, Kelly referred to Julian as her cherished spouse. She shared that he passed away tranquilly this week, having fought courageously against cancer.

‘He was truly one of a kind,’ she added.

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2025-07-07 09:05

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